Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The third book in the series by Veronica Roth is Allegiant and you will discover all in the first two stories is just a mirage. It's basically one city invading the rights and privacy of another and manipulating them to the extent of being able to eliminate their minds, their memories and their very existence. Just how many times is each city of factions reset you surely must ask yourself. A masterstroke as far as an author is concerned especially given that the majority of her audience is aged between twelve and eighteen. This is a real plot twister. Note Veronica's hair gets considerably shorter with each book promo. Does that mean she will be bald when she promotes her prequel Four? Anyway, this novel continues the story of Beatrice Prior and her romantic interest Four. Mind you, I would only give this semi-romantic and somewhat dubious love interest a three for his performance as the secondary narrator to Tris; a new feature introduced into this final novel in the triology. Can't have been that great as Roth feels the need to write a prequel to the whole series trying to explain and maybe exonerate the dismal appearance of Four in this novel. Whilst I enjoyed it, I feel it lacked the drive and charisma of the first two novels, a characteristic it shares with the third book in the  Hunger Games triad.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

In the second book Insurgent,in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, things are hotting up in the city of factions especially between the Erudite and the Abnegation factions. Tris and Four are caught between loyalties to their old faction and the ideal of avoiding a total societal breakdown in the city. In this novel you see the emergence of a more assertive, if not at times an aggressive verging on somewhat cruel Tris. She now faces questions of grief, forgiveness, loyalty, politics and most importantly identity. As a reader, you start to question her motives and actions. Dauntless is torn apart as Erudite try to establish dominance and suddenly Tris and Four are fugitives and have to seek refuge in the Amity sector. Dauntless traitors abound and action now needs to be taken to ensure a total bloodbath does not occur threatening the whole existence of all five factions, and the factionless, who have gained a power unforseen by all the legitimate factions suddenly become a power to contend with. But who is watching all of this unfold? There is a much bigger picture, maybe they are just all pawns.  All is to be revealed in the final book of the triology, Allegiance. 

If you would like to hear an excerpt being read, click here:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

If you enjoyed The Hunger Games series, you will most likey enjoy this dystopian debut novel by Veronica Roth and the three other books which make up the set in a post-apocalyptic version of Chicago. The story is told through the eyes of sixteen year old Beatrice Prior as she tries to find out who she really is in a society that defines its inhabitants by their personality-related affiliation to five different factions. There is Candor, Erudite, Abnegation, Amity and Dauntless. At age sixteen all adolescents must attend the Choosing Ceremony and select their faction. This will be their faction for life unless they are rejected and exiled to the poverty stricken sector of the factionless.  For Tris (Beatrice), her choice means leaving the relative safety of the Abnegation faction to join the Dauntless, one where traits of strength, courage, ruthlessness and recklessness are actively encouraged. During the rigorous initiation process, she meets and becomes close to Four, who endeavours to look after her despite her determination to forge her own future. If anyone discovers that Tris is in fact a a rare personality type known as "divergent" she faces possible death or the the very least expulsion from the faction.  The following video of author Veronica Roth discussing this book is well worth viewing. All four books are available for borrowing from The Little Library of Rescued Books.  What faction would you choose if you had to? Watch out for Jeanine, the malevolent presence and purveyor of others' lives in the first two books. She's the character you love to hate...along with the big bombastic initiate Molly endeavouring to win a position of dominance in the Dauntless faction. Peter's no angel either.